First look: Horseshoe Casino's dining options

Feb. 26, 2013

Award-winning chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author Bobby Flay will open his 14th Bobby's Burger Palace, and first in Ohio, at Horseshoe Cincinnati on March 4. The 3,500-square-foot restaurant and bar features seating for about 90 people. / The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran

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Horseshoe Casino offers betting opportunities from penny slots to a high-roller room that will accept $50,000 bets. Likewise, opportunities for getting something to eat range from a Starbucks, open 24/7, to Jack Binionís Steak , a place perfectly designed for spending winnings on steaks, fine wine and seafood. In between, thereís the fast-casual Bobbyís Burger Palace, Jimmy Buffettís Margaritaville, and a large buffet with seven action stations and state-of-the-art induction counters that mean there are no steam trays or Sterno. There are also extensive banquet facilities, and one more restaurant space that has not yet been announced.

Itís not necessary to gamble, or even to enter the gaming floor, to eat at several of these restaurants, because they have entrances to the street as well as to the 100,000-square-foot gaming floor. Minors under 21, even children, are allowed into the restaurants, and can walk through the gaming area if theyíre with an adult and on their way to an event in the banquet area.

Bobby Flayís Burger Palace is the first location in Ohio of the celebrity chefís casual concept. Customers order burgers inspired by flavors from around the country at a counter, then take seats at luncheonette-style curving counters, with seating on both sides, for a social experience with friends or strangers. Itís open until 2 a.m. on the weekend.

Margaritaville was an obvious choice for the casino in Cincinnati, where Parrotheads still flock to his sold-out concerts. It serves a casual, island-inspired menu, and includes a gift shop and a TV monitor playing videos from Buffett concerts Ė no doubt many of them taken at Riverbend. It has an outdoor patio that connects up with the public lawn in front of the casino. There will be live entertainment, and itís open until 2 a.m.

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Jack Binionís is named for the founder of Horseshoe Gaming. Several other casinos have Jack Binion steakhouses, but this location is launching a new menu, tweaking the standard steakhouse lineup. It will serve salt and chili-crusted red snapper, butter-poached lobster and Muscovy Duck alongside dry-aged prime rib, Wagyu beef, lamb and veal. Thereís an extensive wine list with hundreds of bottles of wine in humidity- and temperature-controlled storage, and craft cocktails.

The Spread buffet, offering lunch for $16 and dinner for $23, is anticipated to serve 2,000 diners a day at 400 seats. To accommodate them, the food line features seven action stations, including Italian, Mexican, barbecue, Brazilian churrascaria, a Cincinnati-themed area, a salad bar and a large dessert station. The Italian station, Cafe Italia, faces the gaming floor, Food is kept hot on top of marble counters, with induction heaters underneath that keep just the container warm. Most dishes are made in very small batches, said Executive Chef Pete Ghione. He hired most of his workers locally, including recent graduates of Cincinnati Cooks, the Freestore Foodbank culinary training program, and Cincinnati Stateís Midwest Culinary Institute.

Horseshoe has a huge rewards program, and members of the rewards club can redeem points at any of the restaurants, or at 10 partner restaurants in downtown Cincinnati, including some of the best restaurants in the city: Boca, Jean-Robertís Table, Mahoganyís at the Banks, Metropole, Montgomery Inn Boathouse, Moerlein Lager House, Nada, Nicolaís, Via Vite and Sotto.